Micrometric height gauge



Oct. 30, 1956 RINEER 2,768,448

MICROMETRIC HEIGHT GAUGE Filed Oct. '7, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 30, 1956 RINEER 2,768,448

MICROMETRIC HEIGHT GAUGE Filed Oct. '7, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ARTHUR E. RINEER H l 5 ATTORN Y MICROMETRIC HEIGHT GAUGE Arthur E. Rineer, Centerville, Ohio Application (Bctober 7, 195 '2,.Serial No. 313,459

Claims. ((11. 33-170) This invention relates to a height gauge and more particularly to a height gauge used with a surface plate, but is not necessarily so limited.

An object of this invention is to provide a height gauge which can measure any reasonable height and which may be used with a surface plate.

Another object of this invention is to provide a height gauge having a locking device, the locking device being such that it will always lock with the same degree of opposed forces.

Another object of this invention is to provide a height gauge which can be easily locked at a given setting.

Other objects and advantages reside in the construction of parts, the combination thereof and the mode of operation, as will become more apparent from the following description.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the height gauge with a portion of the gauge shown in sectional view.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top sectional view showing the arrangement of the calibration locking screws.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side view showing the arrangement of the calibration locking screws.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side view of the gauge, a portion of the view shown in section disclosing part of the locking device.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken through the center of the barrel, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 66 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on line '77 of Figure 5.

Referring to the drawings in detail, this gauge consists of a cylindrical barrel 1t) rotatably supported by an intermediate barrel 12. The intermediate barrel 12 is threadedly supported by a base 13 and adjustably engages the base 13. The bottom end of the base 13 is open.

A scriber 14 is rigidly supported upon a cylindrical block 18 connected to the barrel by an extension 113 which is retained between the barrel 10 and the support block 18 by a bolt 21 A bolt 22 with .a knurled head 24 retains the scriber 14 to the cylindrical support block 18. The scriber 14 may be supported on the upper surface or on the lower surface of the support block 13, as shown in Figure 1. The scriber 14 is inverted when it is used onthe lower surface of the support block 18. When the scriber 14 is inverted, the bolt 22 is also inverted, thus placing the knurled head 24 on the top surface of the support block 18.

The scriber 14 is an interchangeable member. It may be interchanged with indicators, pointers, or other attachrnents. These attachments are so constructed as to properly fit in the position of the scriber 14. The use of each of these attachments depends upon the immediate application of the height gauge.

in the preferred embodiment the barrel 10 is inscribed with indication marks such as 5-0-45, as shown. These indication marks on the barrel '10 are used in conjunction with the vertical zero line and Vernier marks 11 on '1 nitcd States Patent 0 ice the base 13, allowing the instrument to be read tenthousandths of an inch. One complete turn of the barrel 10 changes the height of the barrel 10 by the amount of one-half the distance between any of the numbers on the base 13.

The barrel 1t) and the intermediate barrel 12 are rotatably attached together to provide a calibration adjustment means for the use of the indicia on the barrel 10 as associated with the indication marks on the base 13. As best shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 at the top part of the barrel 10 is a clamping section 25 at which the barrel It has a slot 27 through which is transversely threaded a bolt 26 for firmly retaining barrel 10 around the intermediate barrel 12. Clamping action results from decreasing the width of the slot 27 by means of the bolt 26. The barrel It) is also locked to the intermediate barrel 12 by a set screw 23 threadedly positioned radially in the barrel 11 with the end of the set screw 28 abutting the cylindrical surface of the intermediate barrel 12. Therefore, as the barrel It is rotated, the entire indicator assembly, including the support block 18 and the extension 16, rotates about the base 13 as the intermediate barrel 12 rotates about the base 13. As shown, the base 13 is threadedly attached to the intermediate barrel 12. The base 13 is provided with internal threads 19.

A means is provided for locking the intermediate barrel 12 to the base 13. .A hollow inner base 31 is locked within the base 13 by key 32 and screws 34 which are threadedly inserted into the base 13. A cam 36 is mounted on a shaft 37, which shaft extends through the inner base 30. Positioned above the cam 36 is a resiliently operated finger 3%. Attached to the finger 38 is a spring 40'. in the upper end of the finger 33 is thrcadedly inserted a screw 42 with a tapered head 44. Supported upon the inner base 13 is an internal block 52.

A plurality of cylindrical holes in the internal block 52 house a plurality of balls 46 and the shanks 48 of a plurality of brake shoes 50. The brake shoes 50 are located around the periphery of the internal block 52, so that the forces are opposed and balanced. The balls 46 are located between the tapered head 44 and the shank 43. The finger 33 is forced downwardly by the spring 46. When the finger 33 is forced downwardly, it maintains the screw 42 and its head 44 downwardly. This forces the balls 46 against the ends of the shanks 43, forcing the brake shoes 50 against the wall surface of the intermediate barrel 12. By this means, the intermediate barrel 12 is locked in position with respect to the base 13, thereby locking the height of scriber 14.

When it is desired to change the position of the scriber 14, the locking device must be released. This is accomplished by rotating the cam 36, so that its fiat surface will engage the lower surface of the hat portion of the finger 33. This forces the finger 38 upwardly, carrying the tapered head 44 upwardly and releasing the pressure of the balls 46 against the ends of the shanks 48. Thus, the pressure of the brake shoes 50 against the wall surface of the intermediate barrel 12 is released. Release of this pressure allows the intermediate barrel 12 to be rotated with respect to the base 13. The scriber or indicator 14 is adjusted by the movement of the intermediate barrel 12 with respect to the base 13.

The. locking mechanism provides a locking means which always looks with the same degree of pressure. The pressure exerted by the spring when released by the cam 36 is always the same. The cam 36 may be rotated by a handle 63 which is attached to the shaft 37. The cam 36 may also be rotated by a persons fingers under the base 13 engaging the knurled surface of the cam 36.

The possible measurementof this height gauge may be increased by the use of suitable gauge blocks. As before stated, the scriber 14 may be inverted and placed on the lower surface of the support block 18. This makes possible shorter gauging than is possible with the scriber 14 on the top of the support block 18.

The locking device makes possible the exertion of the proper pressure at a plurality of equally spaced locations upon the wall of the intermediate barrel 12. By this arrangement, the application of the brake shoe does not tend to tip or tilt the barrel with respect to the base 13. The pressure is always the same each time it is applied. This ditfers from the type of locking device in which the pressure is exerted by twisting a lock to exert the pressure. Such twisting usually varies and sometimes becomes very excessive. Excessive pressures may distort an indicator barrel, thus reducing the accuracy of the gauge. With the locking device here disclosed, the highest accuracy may be maintained.

Although the preferred embodiment of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which generally stated consist in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth, as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A height gauge comprising an outer barrel provided with an indicator attached thereto, an intermediate barrel encircled by the outer barrel and threadedly attached thereto, a hollow base having a diameter greater than the diameter of the intermediate barrel and threadedly attached thereto, a block rigidly secured within the hollow base, the block having a wall providing a cavity therein and having a plurality of apertures extending through the wall and into the cavity, a plurality of locking shoes, there being one locking shoe for each of the apertures, a shank attached to each of the locking shoes and slidably supported within one of the apertures, an elongate actuating finger positioned in the cavity and longitudinally movable therein, the finger being provided with a tapered head at one end thereof and a flange at the other end thereof, a cam rotatably supported by the base and positioned within the cavity of the block and engageable with the flange of the finger, a spring resiliently biasing the finger toward the cam, a plurality of balls, one ball being intermediate each shank and the tapered head of the finger, and means attached to the cam for rotation thereof.

2. A height gauge comprising an outer barrel, an inner barrel concentric with the outer barrel and threadedly attached thereto, a hollow cylindrical base threadedly attached to the inner barrel, a cylindrical block having a cavity therein positioned within the base and firmly attached thereto, a cam rotatably movable about an axis normal to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical block and positioned within the cavity thereof, a finger positioned within the cylindrical block along the longitudinal axis thereof, the finger having a tapered head at one end thereof and a flange at the other end thereof, an annular shoulder extending from the cylindrical block within the cavity thereof and encircling the finger adjacent the tapered head thereof, a helical spring positioned between the shoulder and the flange at the end of the finger encircling the finger and resiliently biasing the flange of the finger against the cam, the cylindrical block being provided with a plurality of radial holes extending into the cavity adjacent the tapered head of the finger, a brake shoe extending from each radial hole and having a shank slidably movable therein, a spherical ball positioned between each shank and the tapered head of the finger, each brake shoe being movable radially from the cylindrical block and engageable with the inner barrel to lock the inner barrel with respect to the base.

3. A brake device comprising a block having a wall providing a cavity therein, an actuating finger reciprocally movable within the cavity, the actuating finger having a tapered portion the block being provided with a plurality of apertures extending through the wall thereof and into the cavity at an angle to the tapered portion and adjacent thereto, a brake shoe having a shank slidably sup ported in each of the apertures and in operative engagement with the tapered portion of the actuating finger, resilient means urging the actuating finger to move in a direction such that the tapered portion increasingly urges the brake shoe from the actuating finger, and a cam movably supported adjacent the actuating finger and engageable therewith for movement of the actuating finger in a direction opposite to the direction of movement urged by the resilient means.

4. A gauge comprising a rotatable barrel, a cylindrical base threadedly engaging the barrel for adjustment of: the position of the barrel with respect to the base, a locking device for retaining the adjusted position of the barrel with respect to the base including a plurality of circumferentially distributed radially movable members slidably carried by the base and frictionally engageable with the barrel, 2. reciprocally movable rod supported by the base, the rod having tapered portion movable in a direction substantially normal to the radially movable members and engageable therewith for actuation of the radially movable members, resilient means urging the rod to move in such a direction that the tapered portion increasingly urges the radially movable members toward the barrel, and a cam member movably engageable with the rod to move the rod in a direction opposite the direction of movement urged by the resilient means.

5. A height gauge comprising a cylindrical base provided with a cavity therein, a barrel threadedly attached to the cylindrical base concentric therewith, a cam within the cavity of the cylindrical base and supported thereby, the cam being rotatably movable about an axis normal to the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical base, a rod positioned within the cavity of the cylindrical base along the longitudinal axis of the cylindrical base, the rod being provided with a tapered portion, the cylindrical base being provided with a projecting annular shoulder within the cavity thereof, the annular shoulder encircling the rod, a helical spring encircling the finger and engageable therewith, the helical spring also engaging the annular shoulder, the rod being engageable by the cam for operation thereof, the rod being urged toward the cam by the spring, the cylindrical base being provided with a plurality of radial holes extending into the cavity adjacent the tapered portion of the rod, a brake shoe extending from each radial hole and having a shank slidably movable therein, each shank extending adjacent the tapered portion of the rod and operably engageable thereby, each brake shoe being movable radially from the cylindrical base and engageable with the barrel to lock the barrel with respect to the base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 561,802 Markham June 9, 1896 741,501 Johnson Oct. 13, 1903 847,115 Rucker Mar. 12, 1907 1,103,265 Cortf July 14, 1914 1,562,653 Nilson Nov. 24, 1925 1,599,448 White Sept. 14, 1926 1,603,008 Hilton Oct. 12, 1926 1,655,239 Priputnevich Jan. 3, 1928 2,014,779 Pollock Sept. 17, 1935 2,247,797 Anderson July 1, 1941 2,426,933 Janosz a- Sept. 2, 1947 2,491,612 Jensen Dec. 20, 1949 2,590,455 Pittenger Mar. 25, 1952 2,621,768 Cardwell Dec. 16, 1952 

